Last month, adbusiness magazine published a special feature article on BAAS DIGITAL’s story and philosophy. The main topic of the interview was the company’s successes, collaborations, and prospects. The presentation was based on BAAS DIGITAL’s hybrid concept, which also inspired a photo shoot featuring the company’s hybrid symbols.

1. The company started its journey in 2011 and has come a long way since then. How did the venture start and what are the most important milestones to date?​
   We recognized early on that digital media offered “a voice for the consumer” for the first time and we were among the first in Greece to engage in social media intelligence. The knowledge we acquired and the trust we built with large companies soon led us to digital marketing. Focusing equally on quality content and the most advanced advertising techniques, we attracted large multinational companies — initially from the food and beverage sector — and ran campaigns in Greece and abroad. Our team grew quickly and expanded into more demanding sectors such as healthcare, always orienting ourselves towards innovation. To date, we have run campaigns in 45 countries across five continents. A milestone in our journey was becoming a 360° digital agency, which involved a complete rebrand to reflect who we are today.​

2. What would you say is the company’s competitive advantage? What sets it apart from the competition?​
   Our “hybrid” nature and philosophy set us apart. We believe that strong creative work only brings results if it’s supported by an equally strong media strategy. That’s why we provide both creative services and digital media buying and planning to offer our clients speed, flexibility and effectiveness. Our expertise in performance marketing for B2C and B2B communication has been recognized by clients who have found that we help them achieve better results with even the hardest to reach audiences. This is supported by our innovative methodology for conducting Brand Lift Studies, which allow us to measure the actual results of client investments and find out how campaigns are impacting brand awareness and purchase intent.

3. The company has developed into a 360° digital agency. What led you to this direction and what services exactly do you offer?
   A key feature of our agency is the constant drive to evolve. Our transformation into a 360° digital agency is based on our conviction that digital marketing shouldn’t be treated in isolation, but as part of a comprehensive communication strategy.
   Today, we offer comprehensive creative services for all digital platforms and traditional media (TV, radio, outdoor advertising), with the design of marketing and media strategies playing a central role. Our first 360° campaign for the Hellenic Association of Women with Breast Cancer was rewarded at the Indie Awards and continues for a second year. We also offer programmatic buying in digital media, connected TV and Out-Of-Home advertising in Europe and America. We have started to run influencer marketing campaigns and now also offer Generative Business Intelligence services to help our clients develop strategy using AI. We have also focused on branding and carried out brand identity design and rebranding projects.

4. Are there any collaborations and campaigns that stand out to you?
   As we value results, we would like to emphasize a few:​
   Our first international campaign for Friso Milk in Mexico achieved a 27% increase in sales and created the largest online community for baby food worldwide, which marked the beginning of our long-term collaboration with dairy giant FrieslandCampina.​
   During the pandemic, we increased awareness and sales in three countries for the brand Flamigel with the “For Every Ouch” campaign, which led to us being selected as a Meta Business Partner in Greece.​
   A highlight of our long-standing collaboration with Abbott was leading the FreeStyle Libre app to the top of the App Store and Google Play charts within a few days. ​
   Also worth mentioning is our excellent collaboration with Interamerican’s Anytime Insurance, for whom we carry out performance campaigns, and with AkzoNobel, which has entrusted us with its corporate and brand communication in over 30 countries. Additionally, we maintain strong partnerships with the pharmaceutical companies PHARMASERVE-LILLY and GEROLYMATOS International, as well as with New York College.

5. What are the challenges of working with international brands and creating work that runs in multiple countries?
   With campaigns running across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia, we realized that to be true professionals we had to understand the mentality and culture of these target groups and respect their cultural and religious idiosyncrasies. To ensure the quality of our creative work, we worked with selected translators and copywriters in each country to develop concepts and slogans that would resonate appropriately in the different societies. This work is more demanding than creating a domestic campaign, but because we love challenges, we have achieved our goal.​

6. What trends do you see in digital marketing, both in Greece and internationally?
   Artificial intelligence is certainly at the forefront, as platforms such as Meta and Google are already using it to optimise ads. AI is now permeating the entire production process, from design to strategy development, and we believe this will greatly help brands grow. As for the job losses that many fear, we just see AI as another tool we need to master. Those who do it faster will get ahead of the competition faster.

7. What does the immediate future hold for the company? Are there any planned steps?
   Remaining true to our motto, “The future is hybrid“, we will continue to evolve and “transform” by expanding into new areas or adapting to the needs of the changing market. However, our goal of leading our customers safely into the future will always remain the same!